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FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 1978
CRAFTSMEN NEEDED IN VEHICLE SERVICING INDUSTRY
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THE COMMISSIONER FOR LABOUR, MR. NEIL HENDERSON, TODAY (FRIDAY) POINTED OUT THERE IS A NEED IN HONG KONG FOR TRAINED CRAFTSMEN IN THE AUTOMOBILE REPAIRS AND SERVICING INDUSTRY WHEN HE PRESENTED CERTIFICATES TO GRADUATING APPRENTICES AND OFFICIATED AT THE SIGNING- ON OF NEW RECRUITS OF THE KOWLOON MOTOR BUS COMPANY.
MR. HENDERSON WAS SPEAKING AT A CEREMONY MARKING COMPLETION OF TRAINING FOR 24 KMB APPRENTICES AND THE ENROLMENT OF 24 OTHERS AT THE COMPANY'S DEPOT IN LAI CHI KOK. SIR SHIU-KIN TANG, THE MANAGING DIRECTOR OF KMB WAS ALSO PRESENT AT THE CEREMONY.
HE SAID THAT A SURVEY CONDUCTED BY THE HONG KONG TRAINING COUNCIL HAD SHOWN THAT THE AUTOMOBILE REPAIRS AND SERVICING INDUSTRY HAD MORE THAN 950 VACANCIES FOR CRAFTSMEN, BUT THE NUMBER UNDER TRAINING FELL SHORT OF THE INDUSTRY'S REQUIREMENTS BY 50 PER CENT.
+THE SITUATION IS MADE MORE BLEAK BY THE FACT THAT FEWER YOUNG PEOPLE ARE COMING FORWARD FOR TRAINING, AND THIS TREND - UNLESS REVERSED WILL PRESENT A SERIOUS OBSTACLE TO THE FUTURE DEVELOPMENT OF THE INDUSTRY, MR. HENDERSON SAID.
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HE ADDED THAT ONE OF THE WAYS IN WHICH THE INDUSTRY CAN REVERSE THE TREND AND ATTRACT MORE YOUNG PEOPLE TO TAKE UP TRAINING IS TO MAKE TRAINING MORE ATTRACTIVE.
MR. HENDERSON CONGRATULATED KMB ON HAVING TURNED OUT ANOTHER BATCH OF SKILLED TRADESMEN AND SAID HE WAS SURE THAT THE FAR-SIGHTED DECISION TAKEN BY THE MANAGEMENT IN 1973 TO REORGANISE, IMPROVE AND EXPAND ITS APPRENTICE TRAINING SCHEME HAS NOT ONLY GREATLY DIMINISHED THE COMPANY'S DEPENDENCE ON THE TIGHT LABOUR MARKET FOR SKILLED WORKERS TO MEET THE NEEDS OF ITS SERVICE DEPARTMENT BUT HAS ALSO IMPROVED THE STANDARDS OF SERVICING ITS FAST-GROWING FLEET OF BUSES.
IN CONGRATULATING THE NEWLY-QUALIFIED APPRENTICES, MR. HENDERSON SAID THAT SKILLED MANPOWER WAS LIKELY TO PLAY A MOST IMPORTANT ROLE IN HONG KONG'S FUTURE DEVELOPMENT.
AFTER THE CEREMONY, MR. HENDERSON, ACCOMPANIED BY ASSISTANT COMMISSIONER (INDUSTRIAL TRAINING), MR. HORACE KNIGHT, WAS TAKEN ON A TOUR OF THE KMB WORKSHOPS BY THE COMPANY'S GENERAL MANAGER, MR. RONALD LOUEY.
THE KMB APPRENTICESHIP SCHEME WAS SET UP IN 1973 WITH THE ASSISTANCE OF THE LABOUR DEPARTMENT AND THERE ARE CURRENTLY SOME 250 APPRENTICES,
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